Electrical relay



Sept. 27 1927.

o. HO'LTE ELECTRICAL RELAY Filed April '18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet]- Q INVENTORZ N. Q. Fh-LZZ,

BY Q; 2'

ATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1927.

H. O. HOLTE ELECTRICAL RELAY Filed April 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet? INVENTOR H. W 2; BY .Q- 2

s 4L ATTORNEY Patented. Sept. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD O. HOLTE, OF WILKIN SBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AS SIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL RELAY.

Application filed April 18, 1925. Serial No. 24,245.

' My invention relates to electrical relays, and particularly to relays com rising a plu- .rality of contacts and means or selectively operating the contacts.

I will describe several forms of electrical relays embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a top view of one form of relay embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view showing in front elevation, the relay illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the pivot construction of the relay of Figs. '1 and 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are a top view and a front view, respectively, of a modified form of relay also embodying my invention. Fig. 6 is a Wiring diagram showing an arrangement of electrical circuits for controlling the relay shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Figs. 7 and 8 are a top view and a front view, respectively, of still another form of relay embodying my invention. Fig. 9 is a wiring diagram showing an arrangement of circuits for the windings of they relay illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8.

Similar reference characters refer to simi= lar parts in each of the several views.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the relay comprises a base block A of magnetiz. able material. In the form here shown this base block is Y-shaped, and is provided with three upstanding cores 3, 4 and 5, of magnetizable materlal, one located at the exthan t e cores 3, 4 and 5. The top of'core tremity of each leg of the base block A. The cores 3, 4 and 5 are provided with windings-3, 4? and 5, respectively, and it will therefore be seen that each core with its associated. winding constitutes an electromagnet: The upper ends of all of these cores extend through a spacing member C of non-magnetizable material such as brass.

Upstanding from the -center of the base block A is a core 1) comprising a permanent magnet. Thiscore Drprojects through the spacin member G and is somewhat longer D is rovided with a socket 2 as illustra shaped late- B of magnetizable material is provide on its under .side, with a pivot pin'l (see Fi 3) which enters the' socket 2 in the top '0 core D. A- stud 12 onmember C enters a hole I 13 in'the pla e 13 W,

in Fig. 3. A substantially flat, Y-

prevent rotation of the plate, but this stud permits the plate to rock or tip freely on its pivot. By properly proportioning the various parts, the plateB is so spaced above the upper ends of cores 3, 4, and 5 that when the plate is tipped so that two. of its legs abut against two adjacent cores, the remaining leg of the plate is raised. Flux from the permanent magnet coreD serves to retain the plateB in the position to which it was last moved until the plate'is positively moved to a different position.

Three contacts 19, 20 and 21 are supported, by means not shown in the drawing, immediately above the three legs 9,10 and 11, respectively, of plate 13. Each contact is so arranged that when the corresponding leg of plate B is depressed thecontact is open, and when the correspondingv leg is raised the contact is closed.

Current is at times supplied from a suit-.

ings 3, 4 and 5. The supply of this current is,controlled by a circuit controller 14 whichmay, in turn, be operated in any suitable manner.

As shown in the drawing contact 14-17 is closed. Current is then supplied to wind-' ing 3", andthe parts are so arranged that the 'flux created by this winding combines with the'fiux supplied by the permanent magnet core D to repel leg 9 of plate B. The plate therefore rocks sothat legs 10 and 11 en-' gage the corresponding cores. With the late B in this position, contact 19 is closed ut contacts 20 and 21 are open. Should the circuit controller 14 be opened, flmx from the permanent magnet coreD would hold the plate in the position shown in the drawing.

I-f now,'contact 14- -16 is closed, current is supplied to winding 5 on core 5 and leg 11 of plate -B is urged upwardly. Leg 10 remains down, and leg 9 also is forced down a inst'the up or end of core 3. This motion o the plate I? contact '19 butcontact 20 remains open.

When contact 14-15 is closed current is closes contact 21 and opens supplied to Winding 4, and contact 20."is

closed. Under these conditions contacts 19 and 21 are both '0 en.

Referring now to igs. 4, 5 and6, the relay s e arm b hown camp e a q e base block A, from the four corners of which rise magnetizable cores 22, 23, 24 and 25. The tops of these cores are held in place .by a non-magnetizable' spacing member 0. A centrally located core D extends upwardly from base block A through member C and carried, by means of a pivot arrange- -ment similar to that shown in Fig. 3, a

square plate B of magnetizable material. As here shown, the under side of this plate is turned off to a very fiat cone. A stud 12 on member C enters a hole 13 in plate B as in Fig. 1, to prevent rotation of the plate.

The core D is not a permanent magnet but is provided with a winding 27 which is constantly supplied with energy from battery G. (See Fig. 6.). The core D is also provided witha second winding 26 wound on the core in the opposite direction from winding 27 and having the same number of ampere turns. It is therefore clear that when winding 26 is connected with battery G, the flux created therein neutralizes the flux created by winding'27. Each of the cores 22, 23, 24 and 25 is provided with two windings designated by the same reference character as the associated core, with distinguishing exponents. The two windings on each core are wound on the core in opposite directions and the supply of current to these windings is controlled by circuit controller 14 as shown in Fig. 6.

Without tracing the circuits in detail, it will be seenfrom the drawing that when contact 1415 is closed windings 22, 23

and 26 are energized; when contact 1416 is closed windings 23, 24 and 26 are energized; when contact 1417 is closed windings 24, 25 and 26 are energized; and that when contact 1418 is closed windings 25", 22 and 26 are energized. It is therefore clear that when any one of the contacts'of circuit controller 14 is closed, current is supplied to windings on two adjacent cores, and

current is simultaneously supplied to winding 26 on core D thereby'neutralizing the flux from winding 27. The circuits are so arranged that when windin s on two adjacent cores are thus energized the fluxes created in the cores are of opposite direction; These fluxes therefore travel through the two cores, the plate B and the base block A, thereb attracting the adjacent side of the plate and drawing such side of the plate downwardly.

Contacts 28,29, 30 and 31 are located above the plate B, one on each side of the plate so that each such contact is normally open but is closed when the corresponding side of the plate is lifted as the plate is tipped about core D by depression of the opposite side of the plate.

As shown in the drawing contact 1417 is closed, thereby supplying current to windings 24, 25* and 2 The flux created in core D by winding 27 is therefore neutralized, and thefluxes created in cores 24 and 25 by windings24 and 25 depress the right hand side of plate'B as seen in Figs. 4 and 5;

The left hand side of the plate is therefore raised and contact 28 is closed. Contacts 29, 30 and 31 are all open, Should circuit controller 14 be opened, windings 24 and 25" would be de-energized, but winding 26 would also be de-energized, and the plate B would be held in the illustrated position by flux from winding 27.

If, now, cont-act 1416 becomes closed, the holding flux created by winding 27 is neutralized, and the flux created in cores 23 and 24 by current through windings 23 and 24 draws downwardly on plate B at the upper edge as seen in Fig. 4. This upper-edge is swung toward the cores 23 and 24, and the opposite edge is tipped up to close contact 31. Under these conditions contacts 28, and '30 are all open.

The operation of the relay when contact 1415 or contact 1418 is closed, will be apparent from the foregoing.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the relay comprises a square base plate A, having four cores 22, 23, 24 and 25 upstanding from the corners thereof, and a central core D These cores are held in spaced relation adjacent their tops by a non-mage netic spacing member C A square plate B is plvotally supported in the top of core D as in Fig. 3.. The four contacts 28, 29,

30 and 31 are arranged, one at each corner 1 of the plate B over the cores 22,23, 24,

and 25, respectively.

The spacing member C carries four upstanding studs 32, 33, 34 and 36, one located midway between each two adjacentcorner cores. These studs are of such height that when one corner of the plate B is depressed, as for example the right hand corner in the drawing, the lower side of the plate abuts against the two adjacent studs, in this case studs 33 and 34. It will therefore be clear that each pair of studs, with the center pivot of the plate, define a fixed position forthe plate B into which the plate is moved when the windin for the core between such studs is energize v Core D is provided with two windings 26 and 27 similar to those on core D of Figs. 4, 5 and 6. Each of the remaining cores is provided, as shown in Fi 9, with a single winding designated b t e same reference character as that app ied to the core, with the exponent a. The supply of current to these windings is controlled by circuit controller 14 as shown in Fi 9. The circuits will be clearly understo without further explanation.

As shown in the drawing contact 14-18 is closed, energizing windings 24 and 26. Flux from winding 27 is therefore neutralized, andflux from winding 24 draws the right hand corner of the plate B downwardly against studs 33 and 34. With plate B in this position contact28 is closed, and contacts 29, 30 and 31' are all open.

Similarly, should the winding on any of the other corner cores be energized the corratus in any suitable manner. It shouldbe pointed out that while I have here illustrated the contacts as normally open and each" closed by proper operation, the relay might equally well be arranged to open normally, closed contacts.

Relays embodying my invention are particularly suitable for, though in no way limited to, use in railway traific controlling systems. In systems of this character circuit controller 14 will usually be arranged to respond to changes in trafiic conditions.

'standing from said Although I have herein shown and described only a few forms of electrical relays embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: j

'1. A relay comprising a plate pivotally supported at a point, operating means for moving said plate into a plurality of planes intersecting in different lines through said point, and a plurality of contacts one corresponding to each said plane and operated when said plate occupies such plane. 2. A relay comprising a magnetizable base block, a constantl magnetized core uplock, a plurality of other cores upstanding from said block. and spaced from said constantly magnetized core and'from each other, a plate of magnetizable material pivotally supported on said con stantly magnetized core and extending over the ends of-said other cores, means for crew ating a magnetic flux in selected ones of said other cores, and contact mechanism controlled in accordance with the position of said plate.

3. A relay comprising a plate capable of assuming a plurality of positions, means for moving said plate to any one of said positions, other means for retaining said plate in theposition to which it was last moved,

and contact mechanism controlled in accordance with the position occupied by said plate. i. A relay comprising a plate capable of assuming a plurality of positions, -a plurality of magnets one for moving said plate to each such position, another magnet for retaining said plate in the position to which itwas last moved, and contact mechanism controlled in accordance with the position of said plate.

5 A relay comprising a plate capable of assuming a plurality of positions, a plurality of magnets one for moving said plate to each such position, another magnet for retaining said plate in the position to which it was last moved, and a plurality of contacts one corresponding to each said posi-.

tion of the plate and arranged to be closed when'the plate occupies the corresponding position.

(5. A relay comprising a Y-shaped base block, a constantly magnetized core upstand ing from the center of said block, three other magnetizable cores one upstanding from the free end of each leg of said block, a plate loosely pivoted on the top of said constantly magnetizable core and extending over but spaced from the upper ends of saidother cores, a winding for each of said other cores,

means for supplying current to any selected one of said windings to move said plate upwardly adjacent such winding, and three contacts above said plate one adjacent each of said other cores, each said contact arranged to be closed by said platewhen the adjacent winding is supplied with current.

7. A relay comprising a plurality of spaced parallel magnetizable cores, a magnetizable base block for connecting the cores together at one end of the cores, a constantly magnetized core attached to said block and extending parallelwith said first mentioned cores, a magnetizable plate supported by said constantly magnetized core and extending adjacent the free ends of the remaining cores, means for actuating said plate by creating flux in a selected one of said remaining cores, and contact mechanism controlled by said plate.

8. A relay comprising a plurality .of spaced magnets each comprising a core provided with awinding, a plate pivotally supported adjacent the ends of said cores, a stud fixed with respect to said cores and entering a hole in said plate to prevent rotation of said plate but to permit oscillation of the plate about its pivot, means for selectively energizing said windings, and contact mechanism con-' trailed bysaid plate. 7

9. A relay comprising a plate'supported adjacent its center at a pivotal point, a plurality of magnets spaced symmetrically about said pivotal point, 'a plurality of studs symmetrical y di posed at out said pivotal p int,

Hill

one such stud being located between each two said magnets, means for energizing a selected one of said magnets to move said plate into engagement with the two studs adjacent such energized magnet, and contact mechanism controlled by said plate.

10. A relay comprising a central core and a plurality of other cores disposed parallel therewith and symmetrically thereabout, a plate of magnetizable material pivotally sup ported on said central core and extending over said other cores a winding on each said core, means for energizing the Winding for any selected one of said cores and for simultaneously energizing the Winding for said central core, and contact mechanism controlled by said plate.

11. A relay comprising acentral core and a plurality of other cores disposed parallel therewith and symmetrically thereabout, a. plate of magnetizable material pivotally supported on said central core and extending over said other cores, a Winding one each said core, means for energizing the winding for any selected one of said cores and for s1- multaneously energizing the winding for said central core, a second winding for said central core for creating a flux in opposition to the flux created in such core by the other winding thereon, means for constantly energizing said second winding, and contact mechanism controlled by said plate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HAROLD o. HoLTEC 

